Home-made masks or scarves can limit how far an exhaled breath can travel by 90 per cent or more, helping to slow the spread of coronavirus, a new study has found.
The air exhaled by people with Covid-19 can contain droplets of water, many of which may hold the virus.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland tested seven types of face masks, including handmade and surgical masks, respirators, and both lightweight and heavy-duty face shields.
Unless they contained a valve, all of the masks reduced the forward distance travelled by exhaled air by at least 90 per cent. Masks with valves allowed more breath to escape from the back and sides.
Imaging techniques were used to enable scientists to measure the distance and direction that a breath travels when someone coughs or breathes heavily.
Study participants wore the face coverings standing up and lying down, to see if positioning had an effect. Readings were also taken from a mannequin connected to a cough-simulating machine.
However the study also found limits to DIY masks – some potentially dangerous particles still escape into the air unless coverings are fitted properly and are of a medical standard.
Handmade and surgical masks allowed for "far-reaching leakage jets to the side, behind and above and below" with "intense backward jets" from coughing or heavy breathing.
Respirator masks, mainly used by workers exposed to fine dust, offered protection but the valves on the masks designed to aid breathing could potentially allow infectious air to spread considerably to the front.
Countries and health organisations are divided over the benefits of wearing face coverings, but the University of Edinburgh researchers hope the study offers governments guidance on Covid-19 containment policy.
Some countries, such as Germany and the Czech Republic, have made it compulsory in public places while the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the UK government, for example, have recommended face coverings in crowded places where it isn’t always possible to maintain social distancing.
In the UAE, Dh3,000 fines are given out to anyone who fails to wear a face mask in public. France has introduced €135 (Dh545) fines to those not wearing face coverings on metro lines or buses, while similar measures are in place in New York.
“I have generally been impressed by the effectiveness of all the face coverings we tested,” said Dr Ignazio Maria Viola, who co-ordinated the research.
“However, we discovered that some face coverings allow the emergence of downward or backward jets that people are not aware of and that could be a major hazard to others around them.”
Dr Felicity Mehendale, a surgeon at the Centre for Global Health at the university, said it was "reassuring to see the handmade mask worked just as well as the surgical mask to stop the wearer's breath flowing directly forwards".
But she warned the backward jets meant people needed to be careful when standing behind or beside someone wearing a mask.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
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Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
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Dir: Abby Kohn/Mark Silverstein
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
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- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
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The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
Company%20Profile
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
LIVERPOOL SQUAD
Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, Adrian, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Andy Lonergan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, Curtis Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams
RESULTS
Dubai Kahayla Classic – Group 1 (PA) $750,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Deryan, Ioritz Mendizabal (jockey), Didier Guillemin (trainer).
Godolphin Mile – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
Dubai Gold Cup – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (Turf) 3,200m
Winner: Subjectivist, Joe Fanning, Mark Johnston
Al Quoz Sprint – Group 1 (TB) $1million (T) 1,200m
Winner: Extravagant Kid, Ryan Moore, Brendan Walsh
UAE Derby – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Rebel’s Romance, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Dubai Golden Shaheen – Group 1 (TB) $1.5million (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zenden, Antonio Fresu, Carlos David
Dubai Turf – Group 1 (TB) $4million (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord North, Frankie Dettori, John Gosden
Dubai Sheema Classic – Group 1 (TB) $5million (T) 2,410m
Winner: Mishriff, John Egan, John Gosden
